Bowling alley



M517, 1929. Q ROSHQN 1,711,968

BOWLING ALLEY Filed Dec. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet l Ezasszall C fz'os'arz kQJQamM BY- W WITNESS:

ATTO R N EY V ,Wfl J Q Russell ifiaskon May 7, 1929. R c RQSHQN 1,711,968-

BQWLI NG ALLEY Filed Dec. 5, 192'? 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS: ATTORNEY May 7, 1929. R. c. ROSHON 1,711,968-

BQWLING ALLEY.

Filed Dec. 5, 1927' s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR ATTORN EY WITNESS:

Patented May 7, 1929.

UNITED STATES .aUssnLL CLINEROSHON, or PARNASSUS, rENNsYLvANiA.

BOWLING ALLEY.

Application filed December 5, 1927; Serial No. 237,885.

This invention relates to bowling alleys 5 may be reset with any remaining pins at the end of each play, the resetting of all of the pins being simultaneously effected by means of a single operating lever.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view takenthrough a bowling alley equipped with the invention, the invention being shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the cabinet which houses the operating mechanism, theresetting drum being shown in plan view. H

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken through the-cabinet with the mechanism in r normal or set position,

Figure 4 is a similar View showing the position of the mechanism when a pin has been raised,

'Figure 5 showing the mechanism reset andtheposition of the pin before it movesdownward.

Figure 6 is a section on the line of Figure 3. t

Figure 7 is a detail plan View of one of the lever carried pulleys.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a portion of the alley and ball pit floor. V

. Referring inilike characters of reference denote corresponding parts;, the reference character 10 indicates the floor of the alley, 11 the ball pit floor and 12 the usual swinging padded bacln while the pins are indicated at 13.

Thesepins may represent duck pins, ten pins is a view similar to Figure 4 to the drawi 's in-deta'il where- I or nine pins, the game being playedwith the usual balls (not shown). 5

In order to reset the pins there is provided a'resetting mechanism which includes a resetting unit 14 which is individual to each pin; 'These units are housed Withina cabinet 15 and the latter is provided with panels or partitions 16 which separate the units. The bottom'of the cabinet is indicated at 17 and this bottom is provided with openings 18, one of these openings being provided for each pin. The openings are of such size as to permit the pins to partly enter the cabinet, the pins being provided with anannular preferably rubber buffer'li) which provides'a stop to limit inward movement of the pins,

Eachpin is provided with a cable20, one

end of the cable beingsecured to thepin, with the 'cablewextending upward through one of the openings and havingits upper end sta- "tionairi'ly anchored within the cabinet as shown at21.

Pivotally mounted within the cabinet upon one of the partitions 16 as shown at 22 is a lever 23 which carries at its'upper end a grooved" pulley '24, the cable passing around'this pulley and through aguard 25.

The lever23is yieldingly pulled in one direction, by means of a spring 26, one end of which is secured to the lever and the opposite end toa peg or pin onthe panel at the upper left hand corner of the cabinet. Normally, the lever 23 fisheld against pivotal movement means of a pivotallymounted latch 27, thepivo't of which is shown at'28'. One end of this latch carries a book 29 which engages stud 30 carried by the lever 23 a weight 31 which is secured to the other end of the lever acting to hold the latch in such engagement. Extending downwardly from thelatch 27 is an arm 32 and this arm has extending therefrom a stud 33 which is normally spaced from and adapted to be engaged by a lever 34 which ismou'nted upon the pivot 22. This lever carries at its outer end a pulley 3G around which the cable 20 passes, the pulley-being provided with a guard 39 to retain the cablein position; "The cable 20 also passes arounda stationary pulley 40 which is posii tione'd below the pulley 2d, while an additional pulley 41 acts toguide the cable to the pulley 36 A guide pulley 42 is arranged above thejopening in thebottoin of the cabinet.

through which the cable 20 passes, vThis mechanism is duplicated withinlthe cabinet lOl) for each of the pins. A stop pin 43 limits upward pivotal movement of the latch 27.

Secured to each of the levers 34 is a. cable 441-. This cable passes through an opening provided in the cabinet and is guided over a pulley 45. The outer ends of these cables 44- are wound upon a drum 4&6 which is mounted in suitable bearings 47 and is located within an extension as at the rear of the cabinet 15.

The drum 46 is provided with a reduced portion -1l9 and wound upon this reduced portion is a cable 50. This cable extends down- -ward around a pulley 5i arranged at the rear of the alley and extends forward and passe. upward around a pulley 52. The cable 50 then passes around a guide pulley and has its end secured to an operating lever 5st which is pivotally mounted as shown at in a stand arranged preferably at the right of the players end oi the alley. 'lhis lever is yicldingly maintained in an upright position by means oit springs 56 arranged at each side ot the lever at the base.

Normally, the parts are arranged as shown in Figure l of the drawings with the pins in set position. One of these pins is shown in Figure 3 of the drawings with the mechanism set. hen a ball strikes one or more of the pins with sufiicient force to displace it or to cause it to strike other of the pins, the pin or pins so struck will be automatically raised to the position shown in Figure l of the drawings. This is due to the fact that the impact on the pin will draw upon the cable 20 and by reference to Figure 3 of the drawings it will be seen that a pull upon the cable 20 will cause the lever 3a which may be termed the releasing lever, to engage the stud 33 on the latch 27. This will pull the latch down ward against the action of the weight 31 and release the hook end from the pin 30. The lever 23 will thus be released and will be moved to the position shown in Figure at by the tension of the spring 26. This will cause the lever 93 to pull upon the cable 20 to raise or hoist the pin. This action takes place in the mechanism for each of the pins struck. The lever 3% remains in the position shown in Figures 3 and l.

The cables ell and 50 are wound upon the drum in reverse directions, and in order to reset the inc-c inisin and consequently the pins, the lever 54 is operated to pull upon the cable so. This will rotate the drum 4:6 in a direction to wind the cables 44: upon the drum, all of the cables being simultaneously wound. The winding of the cables 4A upon the drum will cause a pull upon these cables so as to move the lever 34 to the position shown in Figure 5. As both ends of the cables of the raised pins are in effect stationarily anchored, the pull upon the cables 20 due to the action of the lever 3 will move the lever 23 from the position shown in Figure l to the position shown in Figure 5, whereupon the pin or stud 30 will again be engaged by the latch 27. Should any of the pins be left in position upon the alley at the end of the play, these remaining pins will then be raised through the movement of the lever 34, and when pull upon the operating lever 54 is released and the lever is permitted to return to its normal vertical position, the weight of the pins 13 will cause the pins to move downward, and as the tension upon the cable a l has been released, the lovers 3-1 will be returned to the position shown in Figure 3. These levers 3st perform the function of release and resetting levers, in that they act initially to release the hoisting lever 23 and to after 'ard pull upon the cables 20 to reset these hoisting levers.

In order to return the balls to the players, the tloor pit- 11 ot' the alley inclines transversely toward a gutter 57. This gutter inclines from the pin end ot the alley to the players end, so that the balls will roll transversely ot the alley along the floor of the pitaud will then roll longitudinally to the players. All that is necessary to continue the play is to operate the lever 5% at the end of each play, sothat the expense and annoyance, together with danger of injury LO the pin boys, are eliminated.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportions and'minor details of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. In a bowling alley, pins, a spring actuated hoisting lever for each pin, a cable c0nnected to each pin and operatively connected with the hoisting lever, whereby when the lever is actuated the pin will be raised, means til to normally hold the lever in position to permit the pin to remain in lowered position, means controlled by impact upon the pin to release the hoisting lever holding means, a cable connected to the hoisting lever releasing means, a common actuating member for said cables to simultaneously actuate all of the hoisting lever releasing means and reset the hoisting levers, and means to operate the common actuating member and reset the pins.

2. Ina bowling alley, pins, a spring actuated hoisting lever for each pin, a cable connected to each pin and opcratively connect cd with the hoisting lever, whereby when the lever is actuated the pin will be raised, means to normally hold the lever in position to permit the pin to remain in lowered position, a combined release and resetting lever, means located in the path of movement of the last mentioned lever to actuate the hoisting lever holding means whenthe pin is subjected to impact, a cable connected to the combined release and resetting lever, and means to simultaneously operate all of the cables to reset the hoisting levers and resetthe pins.

3. In a bowling alley, pins, a cabinet located above the pins and having openings in the bottom, cables having one of their ends connected to each pin and extending through the openings with the other ends of the cables an chored Within the cabinet, a pivotally mounted spring actuated hoisting lever for each cable to operate the cable and raise the pins, means to limit upward movement of the pins under the action of the hoisting levers,

weighted latches normally engaging the levers to hold the latter in inactive position, a

releasing lever for each latch, means carried by the latches for engagement by the re1easing lever to actuate the latch and release the hoisting lever when the pin is subjected to impact, and means to actuate the releasing levers to resetthe hoisting levers and reset the pins. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

RUSSELL CLIN E ROSHON. 

